Conrad Anker is a leader of the outdoor community. A mentor to mentors, he has been a consistent and calm voice in the outdoors for decades. He is a climber’s climber, at home on a faraway alpine wall or the sparkling ice of his home canyon, Hyalite, located in the Gallatin Range of southwestern Montana. Over decades in the mountains, he has come to value the rarified air of Antarctica, the Himalaya and Montana equally; inspired by the value of immersion in other ecosystems and cultures, he’s become more fully enmeshed in both the physical and communal landscape of his hometown of Bozeman.

In this conversation with Conrad, Cory and CJ dig into how he is navigating the current shelter-in-place era as an avid outdoorsman and member of the larger community.

The topics range from Covid-19 to his experience navigating loss and grief over the years of losing friends in the mountains. He shares his approach, a prism of positivity, and tools for facing loss. How does Conrad say to himself in these moments? We find out.

In conversation:

Conrad’s view of the universe
Empathy as a healing tool
How “getting off the deck” is a vital part of being
How surviving a “widow-maker” heart attack shifted Conrad’s identity
He needs a moment of “defragging” with physical focus – pull ups and sit ups help at this time
How sleep and rest is a tactic
A prism of positivity – mental approach to keeping optimism high
What he means by “Keeping the Bear in the den and the Wolf at the door.”
Wildlife’s reaction to the dominant species being caged
“Let go of the pursuit and the pursuit will come to you”

Check out Episode 11 with Aaron Huey!